Analysis by WorldTribune Staff, January 23, 2026 Real World News
When you’re staring a criminal charge in the face, it helps to have the right connections on the Left.
The Trump Justice Department believes the video evidence from the invasion of a church in St. Paul, Minnesota last Sunday shows self-proclaimed “independent journalist” Don Lemon (longtime CNN host and not a pro-Trump conservative) engaged in behavior not covered by the First Amendment and therefore demands criminal prosecution.
Lemon is represented by the same lawyer, Abbe Lowell, who has represented Hunter Biden and enabled New York Attorney General Letitia James to skate free of mortgage fraud charges.
It also turns out that the wife of the judge who refused to accept charges against Lemon for disrupting a church service is herself an assistant attorney general working for leftist and anti-ICE Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Three alleged participants in the anti-ICE protest the Cities Church were charged on Thursday, according to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The magistrate who refused to sign off on the charges against Lemon in Judge Douglas Micko. His wife, Caitlin Micko, works in Ellison’s office, according to reports.
Lowell claimed that Lemon’s role was solely as a journalist: “The magistrate’s reported actions confirm the nature of Don’s First Amendment protected work this weekend in Minnesota as a reporter. It was no different than what he has done for more than 30 years, reporting and covering newsworthy events on the ground and engaging in constitutionally protected activity as a journalist.”
One source said that Bondi was “enraged at the magistrate judge’s decision.”
The DOJ said it may pursue other alternatives to seek Lemon’s prosecution.
Legal analyst Gregg Jarrett told Fox News host Sean Hannity Thursday that Bondi has multiple options to pursue charges against Lemon.
“Rejecting the charges against Don Lemon smells fishy to me. We may actually learn more about the magistrate’s motivation, bias and conflict of interest,” Jarrett told Hannity.
“Legally, the magistrate would have to decide that these prosecutors did not meet the standard of probable cause. But personally disagreeing with the wisdom of or fairness of bringing the case, it’s not a valid ground for overriding the charging decisions. So, Sean, I thoroughly expect the DOJ to do one of two things. Either bypass that magistrate by going to a grand jury for an indictment against Don Lemon or go to a real district court judge, because a magistrate is really just a ministerial assistant. He handles misdemeanors and warrants and empties the trash cans.”
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Who is Judge Douglas Micko? Don Lemon has friends in high places added by Editor Two on
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